Note: Cross posted from [wp angelfury] A Human Rights Issue-Custodial Justice.

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PRESS STATEMENT

For Immediate Release - May 11, 2007

Contacts:

Dianne Post, J.D., author of the lawsuit (Vladistock, Russia) postdLpost@aol.com;

4232 43-26-35 (work); 4232 42 06 72 (home)

Joyanna Silberg, Ph.D., national supporter of the lawsuit JLSIlberg@aol.com;

410-938-4974 (work); 443-562-1802 (cell)

Laurie Harrison (KCSDV) lharrison@kcsdv.org;

785-232-9784 (work); 785-633-9703 (cell)

Justice for Mothers

Statewide advocacy organization supports Mother's Day lawsuit

Statement by Sandy Barnett, executive director of the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence

Topeka, Kan. - "As Mother's Day approaches, KCSDV stands in support of a lawsuit filed today against the United States claiming that U.S. courts have failed to protect the human rights of abused mothers and their children by frequently awarding child custody to abusers and child molesters who have become increasingly expert at using and manipulating the court system," said Sandy Barnett, executive director of the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence (KCSDV).

The lawsuit seeks a finding from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights that the U.S. has violated the Declaration of the Rights and Responsibilities of Man and the Charter of the Organization of American States (OAS). The U.S. is a member of the OAS.

"We urge the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights to send a clear message across the United States that children should be protected from the abusive parent and the care and custody of the children should remain with the parent who will protect them and provide a safe and secure future for them free from violence," Barnett said.

"KCSDV and the work of advocates at our 30 member programs across the state of Kansas focus on helping victims of domestic and sexual violence find safety and justice and hold their abusers accountable for the violence perpetrated against them and their children," Barnett said. "Too often, as mothers seek to keep their children from the abusive parent, their abusers pervert the justice system, resulting in lengthy and expensive legal battles for mothers to maintain custody of their children. Too often mothers lose these battles and children are forced to live with the abusive parent, often without contact with their mothers."

A case from Kansas is part of the lawsuit. The petition and supporting documentation will be available today at 9:00 am CST on the Stop Family Violence website www.stopfamilyviolence.org. For additional information contact Irene Weiser, executive director of Stop Family Violence, at iw@stopfamilyviolence.org.

KCSDV is a network of 30 sexual and domestic violence advocacy programs in Kansas. These programs provide direct services to victims of sexual and domestic violence. KCSDV's purpose is to prevent and eliminate sexual and domestic violence by providing technical assistance, training, legislative advocacy, and policy analysis on a variety of topics for member programs, professionals and ally organizations across Kansas. For a list of all sexual and domestic violence programs in Kansas, visit www.kcsdv.org/ksresources.html or call 785-232-9784.

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